Los Baños, Laguna—The production of Queen pineapple is set to increase with the development of a propagation and planting system being funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development.
“Somatic embryogenesis is an alternative technique for rapid mass propagation of quality Queen pineapple planting materials. It involves the use of suckers and crowns explants to produce true-to-type planting materials,” said PCAARRD media staff Rose Anne Aya to newsmen here.
She presented the research study “Enhancing the Productivity and Marketability of Queen pineapple” being undertaken by the Visayas State University in cooperation with the Camarines Norte State College and Department of Agriculture Region 5.
Dr. Maria Juliet C. Ceniza of the VSU leads the program.
Somatic embryogenesis can produce 8,000 to 10,000 Queen pineapple plantlets, which can be produced eight to 10 months earlier than the traditional method of producing Queen pineapple suckers, Aya said, citing the research.
Another output of the program is the optimization of planting density and intercropping system for the crop, she said.
The combination of fertilizer, phosphorus, and potassium for Queen pineapple and recommended planting density produced the highest fruit yield in monocropping system in Leyte,” the council official explained.
In Camarines Norte, farmers’ earning increased per hectare based on inputs and recommended planting density, she added.